Presently available snowboard bindings are intended to secure the users boot to the snowboard in the proper position for snowboarding, with both of the user's feet pointed towards one side of the snowboard. Although this foot position works well for snowboarding, it does not work well for attempting to walk with the snowboard before and after descending the slope. Although rotatable bindings are known, they are not necessarily user-friendly.
An example of a presently known snowboard binding is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,603, which was issued to B. Borsoi on Oct. 6, 1998. This patent discloses a snowboard binding having a circular plate that is rotatably secured to the base. No means of securing the base in a desired position with respect to the circular plate is disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,945, which was issued to P. R. Acuna, Jr. on Mar. 2, 1999, discloses an angularly adjustable snowboard boot mounting. The mounting includes a top disk fitting within a substantially circular upper cavity of the base of the binding. A base disk fits within a substantially circular lower cavity of the boot binding, and is mounted to the snowboard. The base disk includes raised ridges that engage complementary channels defined within the body of the binding. The bottom surface of the top disk and the wall of the upper cavity in the binding base also have complementary teeth that engage each other. The top disk, main body, and base disk or joined by a vertical shaft. A lever is provided at the top of the vertical shaft. A spring is positioned between the main body of the top disk, biasing the top disk and main body away from each other. Moving the lever from the open position to the closed position compresses the spring, causing the corresponding teeth in the top disk, bottom disk, and base to engage each other. When the lever is moved from the closed to the open position, a cam releases the tension in the vertical shaft, creating a gap between the upper surface of the top disk and the top lever. The angle of the main body with respect to the board can then be adjusted, and the top lever closed. The location of the top lever underneath the wearer's foot requires that the binding be removed from the wearer's foot in order to manipulate the lever.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,488, which was issued to R. Gorza et al. on Sep. 7, 1999, discloses an angular adjustment device for a snowboard binding. The device includes a disk having teeth about its periphery, and which is rigidly secured to the snowboard. The base of the binding is rotatably associated with the disk. The base includes a pair of pawls on each side of the disk, which are structured to engage the teeth of the disk, and which are spring biased towards the disk. An actuation ring surrounds the disk, and includes angled surfaces that are structured to interact with corresponding angled surfaces on the pawls, so that rotation of the actuation ring pushes the pawls out of engagement with the disk. Rotation of the actuation ring is controlled by a lever, with a gear operatively connected to the end of the lever's shaft. The gear interacts with teeth on the actuation ring to rotate the actuation ring upon activation of the lever. This device does not include a means of resisting accidental activation of the lever.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,290,785, which was issued to P. A. Dixon on Nov. 6, 2007, discloses an angular adjustment mechanism for snowboard bindings. The device includes an upper plate and upper gear coupling secured to the boot binding, and a lower retainer and lower gear coupling secured to the snowboard. A wave washer disposed above the upper gear coupling biases the upper gear coupling into engagement with the lower gear coupling, resisting rotation of the binding. The user can rotate the binding by raising their foot to bring the upper gear coupling and lower gear coupling out of engagement.
EP 0 761 261 discloses numerous variations of a rotating binding for a snowboard. The bindings include a disk that is rigidly connected to the snowboard, and a binding having a base that is rotatably connected to the disk. One example includes a pawl that is hingedly secured to the base, and includes teeth for engaging holes defined within the disk. As another alternative, a horizontally pivoting pawl may include one portion having a tooth that engages corresponding teeth defined at the edge of the disk, and a second portion that protrudes from the binding for manipulation by the user. This pawl is spring biased towards the disk. Yet another example includes a semicircular pawl having teeth defined along its concave edge, with this pawl being spring biased towards the disk. A rod connected to one end of the pawl protrudes from the base, and maybe pushed inward by the user to push the pawl away from the disk to rotate the binding. A lever may be provided at the end of this rod that is actuated by the user. A further example includes a worm gear that engages teeth around the edge of the disk, so that adjusting the angle of the binding is accomplished by rotating the worm gear. Yet another example includes teeth defined on the top surface of the disk, and a spring biased block having teeth on its bottom surface engaging the teeth on the disk. A lever having an eccentric element may be used to raise or lower the block, and to secure the block against the disk. As another variation of this embodiment, a pushbutton mechanism may be used to retract a spring biased engagement from the block. Some of these devices do not permit rotation of the binding without removing the user's foot. Other devices do not appear to provide significant resistance to accidental activation.
Accordingly, there is a need for a rotating binding for a snowboard that permits rotation of the binding without removing the user's foot from the binding. There is an additional need for a rotating binding for snowboard that resists unintentional rotation of the binding. There is a further need for a snowboard having retractable fins that may be extended below the snowboard when desired for walking with one's foot within the snowboard binding, thus facilitating walking by permitting desired movement of the snowboard while resisting undesired movement of the snowboard.